Domestic house cats are the favorite pet of families in the United States. Their number is in excess of approximately 67 million. A cat has remarkable grace, agility and a faultless sense of balance. To a great extent, this is due to its ingeniously designed, retractable claws that allow it to establish footing for walking, running, springing, climbing or stretching. The problem with domestic cats is that they love to scratch with their claws, damaging furniture and surfaces in homes and apartments. Domestic cats, unlike cats in the wild, do not have the ability to wear their claws down from their razor sharpness through contact with the earth and other rough surfaces. The surroundings for domestic cats do not permit them to frequently come in contact with rock-hard surfaces, soils or trees. Instead, the cats' claws are cushioned by carpet, linoleum and upholstered furniture. Because these soft surfaces do not wear down the cats' claws, cat owners suffer serious scratches on the skin and significant furniture damage.
Cat owners who reside in rental properties such as apartments and homes are constantly aware of the damage that can be done by a cat's claws. They can damage not only individuals but also their surroundings as well as furniture. Cats like to exercise by grabbing surfaces with their claws. A solution to the damage caused by the sharp claws of domestic cats is to have the claws surgically removed, have the muscles cut (tendonectomy) or to trim them on a regular basis (approximately four times per month). The American and National Humane Societies, among others, consider removal of the claws and tendonectomy to be inhumane acts. Scratching and clawing are inherent in cats. Removal of the claws creates an imbalance that can lead to physical injury and to psychological damage. The physical effect of de-clawing is gradual weakening of the muscles of the legs, shoulders and back and balance is impaired. Emotionally, cats feel defenseless and thus live in a constant state of stress, making them more prone to disease. It is clear that de-clawing, while effective, is inhumane and is considered by many cat owners to be an uneducated and unacceptable choice.
Another alternative is to trim or manicure the cat's claws on a regular basis. This is costly and time consuming and often requires a skilled animal handler or a veterinarian to do the job. Improper trimming of the claws is painful and can result in harm to the cat. Inexperienced cat owners who attempt to trim their cat's claws often trim them too severely and cause bleeding and severe pain for the cat.
Scratching posts are available which allow a cat to exercise it's claws harmlessly. These are merely carpeted poles and thus do nothing to lessen the sharpness of the claws. Cat owners wish to train their cats to use the scratching post instead of the furniture to exercise their claws, but are seldom successful.
While the discussion has been specifically directed to domestic cats, it is to be understood that a similar problem exists with other domesticated mammals, such as rabbits and ferrets, which are kept as pets in the home.
What is needed to solve this problem is something that a domestic cat or other domesticated mammal will frequently come into contact with which will wear down the claws or nails, thus dulling their sharpness and limit the damage done by the claws or nails. It would also be advantageous for the claws or nails to be worn down automatically while the cat or other mammal is going through it's normal daily routine in the home environment.